Celebrity Retreat vs MSC Yacht Club

[jcpc]

1 hour ago, RichYak said:

I’ve been escorted on board when in upper suites. Even in Sky Suites, the concierges will escort you off the ship at ports. This is particularly useful at tender port stops. 

On Celebrity, when in an upper suite, I've only been escorted on embarkation day.  I've never had any escorts on any port days - either disembarking the ship or re-boarding the ship in a port.  However, at tender port stops, we have met in Retreat Lounge and were escorted to the tender area where we joined the already created line to board the tender -- we never "bumped" anyone in the tender line (which was fine with me!).  Escorts to disembark or re-board a ship in a port is not a big deal to me as I'm usually in no hurry at all to get off the ship in most ports....especially in the Caribbean.

 

[mahasamatman]

1 hour ago, mahasamatman said:

I have to say that YC beats Retreat in every respect.

Correction - the safety briefing is better on Celebrity.

[George C]

2 hours ago, At Sea At Peace said:

 

 

Thanks so much.🦞 🥩  We're back in MSC on Seascape B2B 3/30 in a week.  After reading "so many the YC has deteriorate" comments since the pandemic, based on what you're posting it certainly doesn't appear so.  Good to see.  Also the stateroom sweets, fruits, cheeses and alcohol. 

 

On servings like the surf and turf you shared, we befuddle the server in asking for two plates so we can just split on; beef for one and lobster for the other.  

 

We have not been in the Retreat yet, however the lobster we had on Ascent in BLU recently was about 1/2 the size (or a little less) than your YC photo and, although we hail from New England (originally and now just the summers and close to Maine), not bad compared to a Maine lobster.

The lobster we had in Luminae was terrible awful seasoning and cut up , we were then offered lobster from mdr and that was fine and fairly large , also had a delicious lobster dinner in Le Petit Chef.

[Lena11033]

4 hours ago, At Sea At Peace said:

 

 

Thanks so much.🦞 🥩  We're back in MSC on Seascape B2B 3/30 in a week.  After reading "so many the YC has deteriorate" comments since the pandemic, based on what you're posting it certainly doesn't appear so.  Good to see.  Also the stateroom sweets, fruits, cheeses and alcohol. 

 

On servings like the surf and turf you shared, we befuddle the server in asking for two plates so we can just split on; beef for one and lobster for the other.  

 

We have not been in the Retreat yet, however the lobster we had on Ascent in BLU recently was about 1/2 the size (or a little less) than your YC photo and, although we hail from New England (originally and now just the summers and close to Maine), not bad compared to a Maine lobster.

 

I had lobster in YC and by far it beat any lobster I had on Celebrity (retreat included)

[DaKahuna]

16 hours ago, RichYak said:

if this makes you feel uncomfortable, avoid the escort service. It’s not necessary, but it sure is convenient given MSC’s larger ships and long queues. We saved a lot of time getting on and off the ship. 
 

 

 I am in the same camp.  We used it twice getting off the ship, other than debarkation day, and it was very time saving.  We did not need it getting onboard the ship, other than embarkation day, as we never encountered any lines coming back onboard. We did use it once though to be able to use the forward gangway instead of having to walk all the way after and then once onboard walk all the way back forward to where our cabin was.  Just happened to be a butler at that forward gangway and he took us onboard. 

 

16 hours ago, RichYak said:

Retreat is the winner here since the service exists but is less uncomfortable. 

 

I am not sure I agree.  I would say they are pretty equal with MSC having the edge as I have never seen the Retreat escorting anyone onboard other than top tier Retreat guest, even on embarkation day.  Also do not recall many ports where Retreat guest were given any priority embarking the ship in port.  On our sailing the YC Director was very prominent at the gangway when tours were returning to the ship and making sure the YC guest had a minimum wait to reboard. 

 

 

[DaKahuna]

3 hours ago, mahasamatman said:

Correction - the safety briefing is better on Celebrity.

 

 I could not agree more except that this is not a Retreat vs YC thing  This is more Celebrity vs MSC. 

 

The way MSC handles the safety drill is almost like it was done on Celebrity pre-COVID, except you did not have to wait for everyone to show up.   Being able to watch the safety video's and then go to your muster station at your leisure is one of the best things about todays safety drill on Celebrity. 

 

Edited March 23 by DaKahuna

[Oceangoer2]

On 2/17/2024 at 6:50 AM, FamilyAtSea.travel said:

That wasn't my question, but our Sunset Sky Suite only has reserved seating on Chic night and it doesn't come with any priority boarding at ports (unlike Premium Access which gets both every day).

 

Where Premium overlaps is with Internet access (if I could purchase it at a lower price without Internet access I would, but I'm not going to pay full price for something where I already have the main cost).

In my experience, unless changed, there is butler escort to the theatre on chic night(s) only.  There isn't one thing I would miss sailing X vs MSC as reported here.  Having never sailed them there may be other advantages.

[RichYak]

1 hour ago, DaKahuna said:

 

I am not sure I agree

It could have gone either way. If I’m being honest, the remainder of my review is going to be so overwhelmingly in favor of YC, I was looking for an opportunity to provide some balance. 

[Oceangoer2]

21 minutes ago, RichYak said:

It could have gone either way. If I’m being honest, the remainder of my review is going to be so overwhelmingly in favor of YC, I was looking for an opportunity to provide some balance. 

where is your review?  on X or MSC board?  or are you doing a comparison here on CC, X board?

[RichYak]

19 minutes ago, Oceangoer2 said:

where is your review?  on X or MSC board?  or are you doing a comparison here on CC, X board?

I’m doing it in this thread in various posts. 

[RichYak]

With the lousy weather, the pool deck is no longer an option. We didn’t feel like sitting down for lunch so we ordered in-room pizza. Within 30 minutes, pizza and wine were delivered by our butler. 
 

In the Retreat, other than sushi when in an upper suite, we never had any interest in room service lunch so YC clearly wins here. And the pizza was delicious. 

[DaKahuna]

2 hours ago, RichYak said:

In the Retreat, other than sushi when in an upper suite, we never had any interest in room service lunch so YC clearly wins here. And the pizza was delicious. 

 

 Did you customize your pizza?  My wife is not a fan of pepperoni so we ordered a 1/2 MSC and 1/2 margherita and it came out perfectly.  

 It was pretty simply, call the number, tell them what you want and it shows up fairly quickly.  

 

Back when Celebrity had butlers in the Sky Suites, we would order sandwiches for lunch in ports where we did not stay ashore very long or did not go ashore.  

 

Edited March 23 by DaKahuna

[RichYak]

2 hours ago, DaKahuna said:

Did you customize your pizza?

Nope. There were plenty of options that we liked. 

[RichYak]

Luminae vs YC Restaurant.
 

This is difficult because food is so subjective. Luminae’s menu is kind if adventurous, sometimes too adventurous.
 

The YC Restaurant is open for lunch on port days. That alone gives YC a head start on my rating scale. Luminae is already behind without me getting in the door. 
 

I found the menu choices in the YC Restaurant to be more plentiful with higher quality ingredients. See the picture of the lobster tail I posted upthread and note that filet mignon is available every night. 

Tonight at dinner I noticed a plate with 2 empty lobster shells being cleared from a table. Lobster was not on the menu. My wife also noticed dumplings I had the night before being served to a nearby table. Dumplings were not on tonight’s menu. Based on observations like these and conversations I’ve had, it’s clear that with proper notice, you can get whatever you want in YC. Impressive. 
 

Lets talk service. One thing I’ve always disliked about Luminae is ordering a cocktail. “Yes sir, let me find the sommellier.”  Then the wait begins. There’s one person for drinks, one for bread, a waiter, and someone else that clears. In YC, if I want a drink, I ask whoever is in front of me—my waiter, asst waiter, the Maitre ‘d, whoever—and my drink appears. I have a waiter, an assistant waiter, and if they’re jammed, the maitre ‘d kicks in to help. Easy, organized, and efficient. 
 

Tonight, after our last dinner, I gave my waiter an envelope with my thank you. It was the first and only time anyone mentioned a survey to me. It was a soft sell mentioned in passing, not the panicked ritualistic plea for 10’s by all Luminae staff. 
 

On one occasion this cruise, we had to wait to be seated for dinner. We were asked to go down to the lounge to wait. Much more civilized than waiting outside Luminae. Within 5 minutes, the maitre ‘d came down to show us to our table. 
 

Let’s talk staffing. It’s pretty clear to me that the YC Restaurant is adequately staffed. After my last sailing in Retreat, it’s clear that Luminae (and the kitchen) is woefully understaffed. I believe staffing is an issue on Celebrity in general. MSC doesn’t seem to have the same issue. 
 

For me, for all of the reasons listed above, YC is the clear winner. It’s not even close. There are so many little things that YC does better. I can’t think of one area where Luminae is better. 
 

We disembark tomorrow morning. More to come…

[Shadow9612]

9 hours ago, DaKahuna said:

Being able to watch the safety video's and then go to your muster station at your leisure is one of the best things about todays safety drill on Celebrity. 

Agreed. 

[mickey89]

19 hours ago, mahasamatman said:

Correction - the safety briefing is better on Celebrity.

There is NO safety briefing on Celebrity.   Just a click box where people can say what they like........is that Safety ?

[cruiseerf]

I know MSC was hiring any and all Celebrity butlers who applied due to the new managements butler changes....MSC was well aware and indeed took advantage.  I believe this is why it is going to take Celebrity more time to ramp up their butler services after decimating it....Sad.  

[RichYak]

YC Pool Deck vs Retreat Pool Deck

 

I guess this only applies to Celebrity's E- Class ships since they're the only ships with pools. I've only been on Edge so I'm not sure if I can give a fair comparison so I'll just say a few things about the YC Pool Deck and you can compare that to your own experiences on E-class.

 

• There always seemed to be plenty of loungers and no chair hogs that I could see.
• Servers were plentiful (a recurring theme), just like in the lounge
• The buffet had great choices: grilled fish, carving station, build your own salad, pasta salads, meats, cheeses, fruits. You could also get made to order items like burgers, hot dogs, fries, etc.
• The buffet also served breakfast including egss made to order any way you want them, pancakes, french toast, plenty of muffins and assorted pastries, breads. Truly full service.
• The pool itself was heated and saltwater. Very relaxing. I actually didn't go into the hot tub, so no comments there.
• The sundeck on Meraviglia has wind deflecting glass panels above. They work. You get a nice breeze but no wind.
• Servers occasionally walked around with snacks like ice cream and finger sandwiches.

 

I really can't think of anything negative to say about YC's pool deck and it's better than any outdoor space I've experienced on Celebrity.

[At Sea At Peace]

15 hours ago, RichYak said:

 

See the picture of the lobster tail I posted upthread and note that filet mignon is available every night. 

Tonight at dinner I noticed a plate with 2 empty lobster shells being cleared from a table. Lobster was not on the menu. My wife also noticed dumplings I had the night before being served to a nearby table. Dumplings were not on tonight’s menu. Based on observations like these and conversations I’ve had, it’s clear that with proper notice, you can get whatever you want in YC. Impressive. 

 

Combining your thoughts, with which we agree, the filet is available every night (a favorite for one of us, especially if a fish themed night, that's OK for me), and as you note, and as we've posted for years, if you give them notice you can have almost anything they have, or can get.

 

On cruises I like to focus on some things that, well, aren't big in our kitchen.  🤫 So, I look for lamb, in all cuts, whenever we cruise.  I'll ask the chef, or M'd at the first meet, for one example, what lamb is available so I may pre-request after we look at the menus for the week (or a couple of days ahead of time). With Italian dishes, I also like a spicy marinara with a touch of diced tomatoes intact and even some diced anchovies.  That I don't have to ask for ahead of time, they can handle that 'on the fly.'

[Liao]

3 hours ago, RichYak said:

YC Pool Deck vs Retreat Pool Deck

 

I guess this only applies to Celebrity's E- Class ships since they're the only ships with pools. I've only been on Edge so I'm not sure if I can give a fair comparison so I'll just say a few things about the YC Pool Deck and you can compare that to your own experiences on E-class.

 

• There always seemed to be plenty of loungers and no chair hogs that I could see.
• Servers were plentiful (a recurring theme), just like in the lounge
• The buffet had great choices: grilled fish, carving station, build your own salad, pasta salads, meats, cheeses, fruits. You could also get made to order items like burgers, hot dogs, fries, etc.
• The buffet also served breakfast including egss made to order any way you want them, pancakes, french toast, plenty of muffins and assorted pastries, breads. Truly full service.
• The pool itself was heated and saltwater. Very relaxing. I actually didn't go into the hot tub, so no comments there.
• The sundeck on Meraviglia has wind deflecting glass panels above. They work. You get a nice breeze but no wind.
• Servers occasionally walked around with snacks like ice cream and finger sandwiches.

 

I really can't think of anything negative to say about YC's pool deck and it's better than any outdoor space I've experienced on Celebrity.

Just curious if you have ventured outside of the YC at all?  If so, what are your thoughts on the rest of the ship?

[NMTraveller]

On 3/23/2024 at 12:08 PM, RichYak said:

It could have gone either way. If I’m being honest, the remainder of my review is going to be so overwhelmingly in favor of YC, I was looking for an opportunity to provide some balance. 

Shhhh.  Not so loud.  We need some cruisers left on the Celebrity boards...

 

 

[RichYak]

1 hour ago, Liao said:

Just curious if you have ventured outside of the YC at all?  If so, what are your thoughts on the rest of the ship?

For sure, many times. She’s beautiful. The promenade with the video ceiling is stunning and a hub of activity. The pool decks were very crowded. 

[Shadow9612]

@RichYak very much enjoying and appreciating your comparison.  Thank you very much!

[JackE]

Really enjoyed your review, thank you for sharing your cruise with us. We are booked in March 2025 in the YC on the Meraviglia. Safe journey home.

[DaKahuna]

13 hours ago, mickey89 said:

There is NO safety briefing on Celebrity.   Just a click box where people can say what they like........is that Safety ?

 

There is a briefing, just no way to verify people paid attention or even watched it.  At least they still have to physically report to their lifeboat muster station and say they watched it.